


Life Always Changes

by Fighting4Fandoms



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Bromance to Romance, Brotherhood of Steel (Fallout), Domestic Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, Married Couple, Music, Pregnancy, Sad with a Happy Ending, Slow Dancing, Slow Romance, The Institute (Fallout), The Railroad (Fallout), Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:15:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27594686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fighting4Fandoms/pseuds/Fighting4Fandoms
Summary: War Never Changes but maybe life does. The world is no longer the same and Nora has to find a way to make it her own, even if Nate is no longer in it. Along the way she meets strange but wonderful people, some even become allies, and friends, and possibly even more.
Relationships: Cait/Piper Wright, Curie & Strong (Fallout), Deacon & Sole Survivor (Fallout), Female Sole Survivor/Male Sole Survivor, John Hancock & Female Sole Survivor, Robert Joseph MacCready/Female Sole Survivor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Out of the Cold

**Author's Note:**

> So I finally completed Fallout 4, I really enjoyed the game and debated for ages who to go for. I went with the institute for my first playthrough and then I thought of writing a fic so voila, hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora leaves the Vault and heads to Concord to find help to find Shaun.

"Hello? Anyone!?" 

It was cold. That's the first thing she remembered. It wasn't always this cold. Nora huddled against herself, she threw herself from the chamber, her feet clambering against the floor. She threw herself up to the chamber holding Nate inside. 

"Come on! There has to be a release!" She cried. A siren blared in her ears, hammering against her eardrums. "Nate... no..." With tears filling her eyes, she took his wedding ring off his finger and held it against her chest, "I promise, I'll find who did this. I'll find Shaun." 

Her eyes flickered to the others, her old neighbors. Shit. 

"They're dead..." She gasped. "Why would Vault-Tec do this?" 

It pained but everyone _was_ dead. She was the only one left. Nora huddled herself to protect from the cold nipping at her skin. She opened the sliding door and navigated her way around the Vault. Vault 111. The bane of her fucking life. Yeah, she was alive but at what cost? Her husband... her baby was gone. Images invaded her mind as she walked around, finding skeletons on the ground was certainly not how she thought her day was going to go. She found a Pip-Boy on the arm of a corpse, she took it off and put it on her own arm. Nora didn't want to think how long they had been dead but it had to be a while if they were nothing more than bones. 

When Nora finally reached the world, she gasped. Her lungs hadn't been properly used in a while. She clutched at her chest as the brightness of the light returned to normal. 

"What happened to the world?" 

What indeed. Nora didn't run, she was slow. She didn't want to rush. She could barely believe what was going on, the ground, the sky. Everything just looked lifeless. It was like she was walking in an apocalypse. Well, she supposed she was. Nora could remember what the world was like before the bombs fell. Hell, she just wanted to go to the park with her boys but then they had to run. She didn't have anything to her name. Nothing. 

Just two rings and a blue jumpsuit. 

All she could think about was going home if home was even still there. As she walked down the hill from the Vault, she could see Sanctuary Hills, the houses looked like they were still standing. Some of them anyway. 

In no time, Nora reached the road, the one she could remember running for her life on. She could still hear her neighbors screaming at each other to leave the stuff and go, it was in the back of her mind. 

"Codsworth?" Nora couldn't believe it. Nothing else was here except her trusty Mr Handy. 

"Mum? Oh I can't believe my eyes!" Codsworth floated over to her from the bushes he was trimming. 

They talked for a while, Nora asking her what was going on, Codsworth crying. Nora did feel sorry for him, being alone for this long must've been awful. 

"200 years..." Nora shook her head, this couldn't be happening. 

"Well, a little over 210 actually. Imagine, 200 years late for dinner!" Codsworth chuckled at his little joke. 

"I need to find Shaun." 

"Indeed." Codsworth hummed. "I suppose Concord would be a place to start. The people over there only threw sticks at me before I had to run home." 

"Okay, okay," Nora nodded, "Stay here. I'll go and see if there is anyone who can help. I'll come back after."

"Of course, do look after yourself though, hmm." 

"I will, thank you Codsworth." 

Leaving Sanctuary Hills behind me, I crossed over the bridge with only one thing on my mind. Shaun. Where was he? Was he safe? Was he still alive? In my sights, I could see the Red Rocket Truck Stop. Nate would fill the fuel up there. It was mundane but... every little memory I had of Nate was important. I never got to say goodbye. I can still see the blood. 

"Woof!" 

I looked up to see a German Shepherd running towards me, for a second I worried but then I saw him wagging his tail. 

"Oh, hey, there." I giggled as he approached me, he barked happily and nuzzled his face against my leg. I knelt down and stroked him. "You okay? Are you alone?" 

"Woof!" 

"Oh, I see." Nora contemplated for a moment, "Wanna come with me?" 

The dog had this glimmer in his eyes so Nora took that as a yes. "I don't suppose you could lead the way, boy?" 

"Woof!" 

"Let's go!" Nora followed the dog, keeping the 10mm pistol close to her arm, she had to keep her cool. Those radroaches back at Vault 111 were bad enough, yet, she suspected the further along she went on the road, the more serious the creatures were going to be. 


	2. The Last Minuteman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora finds a group of settlers in need of help as she reaches Concord.

Before she left the Red Rocket Truck Stop, Nora scavenged through the remains of the once busy building. She could just see it, the owner tinkering away at vehicles, humming along with the radio in the background. Nora found some cash from before the war, and quite a number of bottlecaps. She stuffed them into the pockets of the outfit of a drifter she found on the road. It wasn't like he was going to need it again and she needed to shed the blue skin of the vault jumpsuit. 

"You find anything, boy?" She asked the dog. 

"Woof." The dog shifted his head to the burrowing holes by the fuel pumps. 

"What the-" Nora yelped as a mole rat erupted from the ground. She didn't even think about it but fired the 10mm pistol, she shuddered as it repelled back, the bullet blistering through its skin. "Oh God..." 

"Woof!" 

"Disgusting." 

Nora retched on the side of the road, she felt so out of place, like a deer on ice. This wasn't the world she wanted. Maybe that's all it was, a nightmare. She was back in the cryostasis pod. She was fine. No, she wasn't. She really wasn't. Nora felt like crying, like breaking down and screaming her lungs out. Shaking her head, Nora shakily stood back up and stepped over the bloody corpse of the mole rat. She had to keep moving for Concord. 

Nora let the dog take the lead, she remembered driving down this road once. Well, Nate drove, she sat in the seat beside him, twiddling with her cassettes. 

_"You found it yet?"_

_Nora shook her head, "Did you mix them up again?"_

_"...No."_

_"Liar." Nora chuckled, "It's fine. Why don't I put the radio on? They usually play good music."_

_"You and I have different definitions of "good music."_

_"Maybe." Nora smirked, "I didn't marry you for your music taste though."_

_"Ha ha." Nate rolled his eyes, "You win, pop the tunes on."_

The town of Concord was not one Nora recognized. 

She had obviously been there before, 200 years before, but she couldn't recognize any of it. How much had the world changed? It was like she was stepping back into the past but not really because it wasn't the past, it was the future. 

The further she went into Concord, the more her stomach knotted. She remembered this feeling, it was like when she was a child and she was waiting outside the principle's office, waiting for her parents. She had gotten into trouble although the trouble was nothing more than an accident and a misunderstanding. Nora barely remembered what had happened but she could remember how the knot disappeared when she felt her mother's embrace. 

Maybe this would turn out the same. 

Nora could hear the sounds of gunshots. She gulped and hid behind the wall of a rundown building, she patted her knee for the dog to stand beside her. 

"Shh," She whispered. Nora peered around the corner to see five raiders shooting at a the building at the far end, she presumed it was a museum. At the top, she saw a man with a militia hat on his head and a laser musket in hand. 

"Let's go and see, it looks like he might need our help." 

"Woof." 

Nora softly smiled and held the gun in her hand, she was light on her feet and managed to shoot her shots at two of the raiders, pinning them to the ground, blood pouring out of the wounds on their backs. 

"Hey, you!" The man shouted to her, "Grab that musket! I have settlers trapped inside!"

It was a cry for help and although Nora was shitting bricks, she found courage and grabbed the musket and fusion cells from the ground and loaded. She kicked down the door and ran inside. 

"Come out, assholes!" A raider shouted with a grunt. "It'll be easier for us if you come out!" 

"Hey, dickhead!" Nora whistled to him, she fired the musket and a bolt of red soared through the air, sending him flying into the opposite wall. 

"The fuck?!" The raider's pal yelped, he screamed as the dog tore his leg off. 

If Nora wasn't trying to save some innocent settlers, she would've actually been enjoying taking out some asshole raiders. It wasn't the violence she craved, it was the will to help others. It's why she studied law in the first place. Of course, Shaun happened, then... this happened. Life really does have strange ways to show what and where you're supposed to be. 

"In here!" The man shouted to her, the one from the balcony. 

"Hey, I took those raiders out for you." Nora smiled, holding the musket in her hand. "It was no problem."  
"You are a life saver," The man nodded his head in thanks, "name's Preston Garvey. I'm glad you came along when you did." 

"How did you find yourself in this situation?" 

"Long story short," Preston explained, "there was 20 of us, then 8, now there's 5."

"Shit." 

"Yeah, shit." Preston shook his head, "Listen, I know you went out of your way to help us but we could do with more. Those raiders are gonna come back, with more guns than we can handle." 

"What do you need?" Nora asked. 

"Sturges?" Preston turned his head to the man with big hair and overalls. 

The guy, Sturges, explained the plan, "Did you see the Vertibird on the roof? Belonged to the army, pre-war, there's a power armour suit with it, problem is we need a fusion core. Other problem is it's in the basement, past a security gate which I don't have the hacking skills for."

"No problem," Nora nodded, "I do." 

"Nice." Sturges smirked, "If you get that it'll have enough juice to power the power armour, there's a minigun upstairs too. Plenty of ammo to take those raiders out." 

"You guys stay here." Nora stated. "I'll come and get you when it's safe." 

"Thank you, ma'am." Preston smiled again, "You truly are some guardian angel." 

Nora wasn't lying when she said she had experience with hacking. She spent so many of her teenage days in her bedroom with the terminal, nearly missed one of her and Nate's dates. God, if he could see her now, her fingers hammering away at the keyboard of the terminal. It took her a couple of tries but "Hey!" presto.

"Nailed it." Nora smirked to herself. 

With steady hands, Nora took the fusion core from the generator, with steadier feet she ran back up stairs and through the door to the roof. This was not who she thought she'd be spending her morning but needs must and all that jazz. 

"Holy crap." Nora gasped at the power armour, it wasn't much, just the old T-45. Nate must've told her about this at some point. He used some during his army days. Man, he was supposed to have done his speech that day. Nora was so anxious to hear it. She heard him practicing a dozen times in front of the bathroom mirror. 

The bullets fired out of the minigun like fireworks on bonfire night, colourful, loud. 

Amazing. 

"What the FUCK is that thing!?" Nora screeched from inside the power armour. She kept backing up but kept a firm hand on the minigun, if she could just pierce its hide... 

The Deathclaw let out a mighty roar as its huge, scaly body dropped to the ground with a thud. Nora sighed and climbed out of the power armour, it wasn't like anyone was going to be stealing it any time soon. 

"Right," Nora sighed, her lungs thundering against her chest, "what a day." 

Nora retreated, she had placed the minigun down beside the armour, she went back inside the museum to give Preston and the settlers the good news. It was good, she supposed. 

"We're heading to Sanctuary," Preston informed her after they talked about the raiders, "if you want, you should come with us."  
"I do need to find my boy." 

"Of course," Preston understood, "if there's anything you need, let me know, I owe you." 

"Ah, look, Dogmeat brought someone." 

"Yeah, Mama Murphy," the other female settler, Marcy Long, scoffed, "she saved us from the raiders. Thanks, by the way." 

"It's nothing, really." 

"It's everything." Preston asserted. "You saved our lives." 

"Diamond City is where you need to go," Mama Murphey sighed, "I see it."

"Mama Murphy," Preston shook his head, "you need to stop with the Chems, it'll kill you."   
"I ain't got a problem going out that way." Mama Murphy beckoned for Nora to come to her, "You kid, I sense your pain but your boy... I feel him..." 

"Shaun..." Nora smiled through tears, "He's alive." 

"Yeah," Mama Murphy nodded, "Diamond City, kid."

"Diamond City?" 

"Yeah," Preston gestured to the distance, "you carry on that way, it's a bit of a walk." 

"I'll walk with you back to Sanctuary Hills," Nora decided, "I'll get some sleep, then I'll make my way there." 

"Not a bad idea." 

"Maybe we can make that place our home," Sturges suggested. 

"Yeah," Nora smiled, "It was nice there, when I lived there, before the war." 

"Before the war?" Preston gasped. "That was 200 years ago." 

"I was in stasis, only just woke up." 

"That's mad." Preston began to lead the others out of the museum. 

"You haven't seen anyone with a baby boy, have you?" 

"No, sorry," Preston frowned, seeing the sad expression on Nora's face. "Kidnapping's bad enough, even worse when it's a kid." 

"I'm sure I can find someone at Diamond City who can help me." 

Preston and Nora walked behind everyone else on the way to Sanctuary Hills, it was safer to be at the back, to make sure everyone's there. 

"I've been Diamond City before." Preston told her. "It's safe enough but the mayor... eesh." 

"He that bad?" 

"He's... biased shall we say. Strict too. Ghouls aren't welcome there, and he hated the idea of the Minutemen." 

"Damn." Nora sighed. "What is the Minutemen, if you don't mind me asking?" 

"A group of people who wanted to make the world a better, safer place. A people's army, if you will." Preston continued to tell the story, "At least, that was the plan. Have you heard of the Quincy Massacre?" 

"No," Nora shook her head, "but that's where your group's from, right?" 

"Yeah, raiders were giving the people there trouble, they needed help. Only a handful of Minutemen went, including myself. Only us five made it out. The Minutemen were no more. Just me." 

"You don't have to carry on," Nora smiled in reassurance and sympathy. 

"That's why we need to build them back up, help the Commonwealth once more. I know I've asked you for so much already but... I can't do it on my own."

"Say no more, I'm in." Nora shook his hand. 

"We can talk some more when we reach Sanctuary Hills." Preston spoke quietly, "You're probably exhausted."

"I could do with some sleep." 


	3. The Road to the Jewel of the Commonwealth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora begins her trek to Diamond City with Dogmeat on her tail, not knowing that the world is going to flip even more upside down.

"Thank you, Preston." Nora shook the Minuteman's hand as she put the satchel around herself, filled with water, food and caps. 

"It's not much," Preston realized, "but it'll be enough to get you there. Please do come back." 

"Of course I will." Nora promised. "I vowed that I'd help to make this place better." 

"Stay safe, Nora." 

"You too." 

"Good luck, kid." Mama Murphy patted Nora's hand, sneaking a shot of Jet into her satchel. 

"Thanks a bunch," Sturges patted her back. 

Even the Longs nodded their approval. Dogmeat barked, wagging his tail happily. 

"Okay, boy, let's go." 

Nora put the pistol in the satchel that was hanging off her shoulder, the strap along her chest so she didn't drop it. Dogmeat walked beside her, wagging his tail as they trekked along the rubble and discarded cars. The world was so rusty that Nora could taste the rust in the air. 

"It's so quiet." Nora whispered. "Almost peaceful." 

"Woof..." Dogmeat whined, looking up at his new master with his eyes twinkling. 

"You know, I noticed there was a radio on this thing," Nora gestured to the Pip-Boy, "let's have a look, shall we?" 

Nora twiddled with the radio on the Pip-Boy, not stopping her walk along the road. She tuned the radio to a network and smirked as the music started to play through the little speakers, "Oh, I remember this one." 

[The Wanderer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEzqndjwwIA)

She remembered a time when her and Nate were at this disco party with some friends, the music played so loudly that night. What happened that night was something that wasn't supposed to but she didn't care. Shaun happened and she couldn't have been happier. 

_"Nathan!" Nora drunkenly giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck, the stench of alcohol on her breath. "My handsome husband... shall we find a room?"_

_"Nora," Nate smirked, "how much have we drank?"_

_"Not enough is the answer!"_

Nora knew that the life she had was gone and she wasn't going to get it back, yet, she was an optimist. She was determined that she was going to find help and find Shaun. 

"You, girl, fancy trading?" 

Nora looked up to see a woman with... a two headed cow? 

"Erm, what is that thing?" 

The trader looked around and raised her eyebrows, "Never seen a brahim before? You been living under a rock?" 

"You could say that." Nora rubbed the back of her neck. "What have you got for sale?" 

"Odds and ends, that sort of thing." 

"I can take a few minutes to browse." 

Nora spent a couple of caps on a bottle of Nuka-Cola, she said her thanks and put it away. No way was she drinking it yet, it looked so refreshing. She didn't want to waste it. She said goodbye to the trader, Trashcan Carla, then carried on her way. 

How long was it going to take to get to Diamond City? Nora questioned it, the sky was turning dark. It was probably a good thing to find shelter. In the distance she could see an abandoned drive-in movie theater. She could swear that she had been there before. The closer she got to it the more she realized that she had been there before. Starlight Drive-In. Damn. It had been an age since she had been there. They didn't have time much when Shaun was born. 

"Looks like this might be a place to stay tonight." She mentioned to Dogmeat. He simply barked and sniffed along the way to make sure there was no danger. 

This must have been a settlement recently, there was a working cooking station, it just needed to be lit, there was a mattress but with the level of dust... yep, they weren't coming back. 

"Okay, let's make something for dinner." Nora rubbed her hands together, "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." 

Dogmeat laid down beside Nora where she situated herself on a cinderblock inside the old diner by the parking lot. Nora did feel like crying but she shook her head at the thought, there was no use in crying over spilt milk. 

"You hungry, boy?" 

Dogmeat chewed down on the bloatfly meat that he had scavenged for Nora earlier that day. Nora finished eating the cram rations that she had been given by Marcy back in Sanctuary Hills. There wasn't much but that wasn't a problem for Nora, she had always been the resourceful type. All of a sudden she was very tired, she yawned a set out the fire, she didn't want to get raiders on her ass. 

"You'll protect me though, won't ya?" She laughed softly at Dogmeat, he had moved to curl around Nora who had sat herself down on the discarded sleeping bag. Oh how she wanted to be back in her home under the soft duvet. Then again, anything was better than the cryostasis pod. 

Perhaps the new dawn would bring her some fortune. 


	4. News Reporter Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora arrives at Diamond City and makes a new friend before she even makes it through the gates.

"Oh come on!" 

Nora headed around the corner, following the signs to Diamond City, passing the city guards. She could hear the sound of a young woman shouting through the intercom system at the gate. She was wearing a red leather jackets and a black news hat. 

"Hey, you!" She whispered, waving her hand in Nora's direction. "You want in to Diamond City." 

"Sure." Nora played along, even though it was technically true. 

"No way, Piper," a man's voice came through the speaker. 

"There's a trader who wants in," The woman, Piper winked in Nora's direction. 

"This true?" 

Nora nodded at Piper, "Yeah, I'm from Quincy way, got plenty of stock here." 

"You see that, man," Piper smirked, "you really wanna miss out on this stuff?" 

The guard sighed, "Fine, I'm letting you in." 

"Thanks," Piper shook Nora's hand, "You are literally like my guardian angel." 

"I could do with some-"

"Piper Wright." 

Nora and Piper looked in front of the now open gate. Nora noticed how Piper was glaring at the man in the trilby hat. 

"Dammit Piper," the man sighed, "we locked you out." 

"I live here," Piper pointed out, "you can't lock me out just because of what I print." 

"It's scaring, folk." He said lowly, "I'm in it to my neck." 

"Why don't we ask the new comer what she thinks." Piper cut him off. 

"You," he pointed, "ma'am?" 

"I always believed in free speech." Nora felt the law degree tingle. 

"You see?" Piper smirked. 

"May I ask what your business is in the city, ma'am?" 

"I'm trying to find my son, he's been kidnapped." Nora explained, trying not to cry again. "He's less than a year old." 

"Holy shit." Piper gasped. "You hear that, McDonough? An infant's been taken." 

"Yes, Miss Wright, I heard." He shook his head. "I am so sorry to hear that, I would offer the guards to help but they're busy keeping us safe from Raiders, Gunners, hell even Super Mutants and such." 

"Is there no one that can help me?" Nora pleaded. 

"Typical," Piper muttered under her throat, "you can have time to shout at me but not help people." 

Mayor McDonough ignored Piper and pondered, "Well, there is the Detective. He's private mind, can't remember how much he charges." 

"Where can I find him?" 

"In the city," He explained, "just passed the schoolhouse." 

"Thank you." 

"You're welcome and welcome to Diamond City, ma'am." 

"Hey," Piper spoke softly, "listen, I'm so sorry about your boy but after you've seen Mr Valentine, could I get an interview? Outsider's perspective of the Commonwealth." 

"Why not?" Nora smiled.   
"Thanks, my office is by Publick Occurrences, straight when you walk in." 

"Thanks Piper." 

"You're welcome." 

Nora could remember the first time she walked through a major city, before the war, when she was a little girl. Nora and her mother were walking through a shopping district and all Nora could think about was just how small she was in the state of things. Diamond City, however, was like the polar opposite of the city she was in before. It was small for a city but perhaps not in the Commonwealth as she knew it now. Preston had said that it was the Jewel of the Commonwealth, like it was in the centre of everything. 

It was busy in the market square, Nora and Dogmeat wandered down the steps and Piper was right, Nora could see a small girl standing on the soapbox, waving a newspaper about in the air. 

"Read all about it! Synths in the City!" 

Nora wandered past the little girl and looked around the market, she still had a few caps left. In the centre of the market was noodle store, "Power Noodles." Behind the counter was a robot, like a Protectron, it was stirring some noodles in a saucer. 

"Whatever he asks," one of the residents patted her back, "just say yes. Only damn thing it understands."   
"Noted." Nora replied. 

There was an amour store, a chems store, general supplies etc. There was just about everything you could think of. Nora felt this sudden knot being tied in her stomach again, she hated it, she needed a sit down. Maybe it was better to have that interview first, just in case. 

Turning back on her heels, Nora retreated back to Piper's office, she even knocked on the door before she entered. 

"Hello?" 

"Oh, hey there Blue." 

"Blue?" 

Piper was sitting down at her desk, "Yeah, you know, 'cos you're a Vault Dweller!"

"Oh, right," Nora laughed nervously, "may I take a seat?" 

"Course!" Piper took out her pen and paper, "Take a seat, cantaloupe." 

Nora sat herself down on the chair in front of Piper's desk, Dogmeat sat himself down beside her. 

"Listen, this is all good," Piper scribbled on her hand to make sure the pen hadn't ran dry. "Now, I've just got a few questions, if that's cool?"   
"It's cool."

"Okay, so, where were you? Where did you wake up from?" 

Nora replied, "Vault 111. I was in cryostasis with my family. I've just thawed out." 

"And you said your son was taken?" 

"Yes," Nora answered, "these people took him."

"I'm sorry." Piper was rather sympathetic. "Now, have you got any words of advice for the people, some who have similar situations?" 

"Just take one day at a time, there's hope out there." 

"Nice." Piper grinned, "It'll be nice for the people to have someone to relate too, ya know?" 

Nora nodded, not realizing her hands were shaking slightly. 

"I think that's everything I need for the article," Piper put aside the notes to give to Nat later, "Thanks for that, all I want is to spread the truth you know." 

"I can see that." Nora smiled. "It was a pleasure to help." 

"Listen, if you ever need another body, I wouldn't mind tagging along." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, two women on the road, it'd be cool." 

Nora contemplated it for a moment, it sure would be nice to not be on the road on her own for a while, "That would be pretty cool, sure. Tag along." 

There was this spark in Piper's eyes, "Nice. Let me just grab my satchel, I'll be just a second." 

Nora watched Piper dart up the ladder of her office to grab her satchel, there was this sense of relief in her, it would be so nice to not be alone. She was almost worried what would have happened if she hadn't made friends. Nora ruffled the fur behind Dogmeat's ears.

"Right, ready." 

"Nice." Nora smirked. "Could you show me where the detective is?" 

"Nick?" Piper shrugged, "Of course I can, he's just around the corner. Let's go."


	5. Valentine's Cupid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora, with the help of Piper and Dogmeat, manages to track down Nick Valentine from the underground vault, Vault 114.

"So, Blue, tell me, what was life like before the war?" 

Nora walked alongside Piper, Dogmeat taking the reigns. The two women walked beside each other, guns at the ready, just them against the world. 

"Well, it was.... peaceful. Ish." Nora regaled. "My husband and I, we had this beautiful little house with white picket fences and a garden in the front and back. We lived in a nice neighbourhood. Sun shone there everyday. Nate talked about teaching Shaun baseball in the park." 

"That sounds... really nice." Piper chuckled, "If I didn't know you were from a Vault, I wouldn't have believed you." 

"So, this is all you've known." 

"Yeah, pretty much." She elaborated, "It's only Pre-War Ghouls that know about the life before. I don't know many mind. They're not really supposed to be in Diamond City. I feel bad but it's safe for my sister." 

"You're just thinking of her." 

"Yep." 

"Is it just you two?" 

Piper turned quiet for a moment, "It wasn't always. We had a mom and a dad. Normal shit. My dad got killed by his captain because he discovered that he, Captain Mayburns, was selling the settlement out to this gang of raiders. He died but he died doing good. I just wanna be like him."  
"Wow, I had no idea." 

"I don't really tell people," Piper whispered even though no one was around to hear her. "Not that they'd believe me. Heck, they don't even believe the truth when it's right in front of their eyes. You know what they say, keep your friends close-"

"And your enemies closer." Nora finished. 

"Yeah." Piper smirked, "Still, in Diamond City, you know, when they don't lock me out, it's safe. Not the greatest place in the Commonwealth but definitely the safest." 

"I've been in this place for just a couple of days and already I feel like a fish out of water." 

"That feeling will pass in time, Blue. I'm sure of it." 

"Thank you, Piper," Nora smiled warmly at the reporter, "you're making this place seem a little more welcoming." 

"Despite everything," Piper said, "I really do think we could be friends. We might disagree from time to time but as long as you leep helping people, we keep helping people, everything will turn out fine." 

"I couldn't have said it better myself." 

"I see him," Nora whispered. 

Nora and Piper were crouching behind the door, Nora peered around the corner to see one of the Triggermen standing in front of the window to the Overseer's office, it must have been where Nick Valentine was. 

"I don't suppose you have a good aim, Blue." 

"Oh, lemme show you," Nora took the sniper rifle from Piper that she had looted from one of the corpses upstairs. Nora looked through the crosshair and aimed it at the thug's head. She let out a steady breath before pulling the trigger. 

"Bullseye." Nora had a smirk on her face. 

"Holy smokes, Blue!" Piper was exasperated. "How did you do that? Who taught you? Tell me everything." 

"My husband, he was in the army, taught me a thing or two." 

"Damn." 

Not long after freeing the detective from the inside of the locked Overseer office, Nora and Piper, along with Dogmeat, fought their way through the Triggermen with the help of Nick Valentine. Until they reached Skinny Malone and his flame. Nora made a choice, she shot him in the head. She didn't have time for this crap. Luckily Piper and Nick did not bat an eyelid at her actions. Nora came to the conclusion that Skinny Malone and his Triggermen weren't exactly rays of sunshine. The world was probably better without them. 

"I need your help," Nora told Nick once they were back on the above lands, "He's less than a year old. I was told you could help me." 

"An infant?" Nick shook his head, "That's a real shame, doll. I'll help you in anyway that I can. Follow me back to the office in Diamond City. I hope I can be of service to you, ma'am." 


End file.
